Sheriff's, Probation officials join forces to monitor probationers

Thursday

May 10, 2012 at 5:52 AMMay 11, 2012 at 5:34 AM

Beatriz E. Valenzuela, Staff Writer

Probation Officer Marc Garcia's desk is still a little bare after six weeks at the San Bernardino County Sheriff's station. There are a few pictures posted in his cubicle, but he's been a little too busy to worry about making his work area more personal.

Garcia is one of several probation officers assigned to various local law enforcement stations in an effort to better monitor the local probationer population.

"Usually it would take a sweep or a law enforcement event for us to have the opportunity to work with probation and outside agencies," said Sue Rose, spokeswoman for the Hesperia station. "Now we're able to have this ongoing relationship."

Using funding from the state as a result of California's Prison Realignment Plan, probation officers have been placed at all Victor Valley stations, said Chris Condon, spokesman for the Probation Department. Barstow will be receiving a probation officer assigned to its station in the near future, he added.

The partnership allows probation officers to be more readily available to deputies as they conduct their investigations. It also helps probation officers locate probationers who may have been out of compliance and not meeting the terms of their probation.

"Last week we were looking for a probationer that hadn't registered for about a year," Garcia. After sharing the information on the probationer's case with Hesperia SMASH Deputy Derek Stokes and his team, they were able to determine an address for the man. When Garcia and deputies arrived at the home they were not only able to locate the probationer, but also arrested others at the home for various crimes including at least one drug offense.

Garcia is one of six probation officers assigned to stations which officials felt could benefit from having an officer on site, Condon said. Those stations included Victorville, Hesperia, Fontana, Ontario, Rialto and at the San Bernardino Police Department.

In the past when deputies would identify someone as being on probation, they would have to contact a probation officer to learn the exact terms that probationer had to adhere to, Stokes explained.

"Sometimes it was a bit of phone tag," he chuckled. "Now (Garcia) is right here. We can call him right up and he can look the person up. Now it's more cubicle-to-cubicle."

Having the officers has helped streamline the process, he said.

Garcia has seen the benefit as well a she was able to conduct about 60 searches at probationers' home in the last month compared to less than two dozen before he was assigned to the Hesperia station. He's also made 22 arrests since he's been at the Hesperia station. He did say that prior to being at the the sheriff 's station, he was assigned to the Probation Department's Domestic Violence unit, and monitoring was different.

"But it's still a great number," Garcia said. "People sometimes get caught up in the number of arrests, but being able to go out and do searches is more important."

Get complete stories every day with the "exactly as printed" Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.